Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Wal-Mart To Go Free Trade Coffee?

A report from the WaPo claims the suits at The Mart are reconsidering some of their business practices, which I found most peculiar. The suits are just in the discussion stage with co-ops in South America, but is this an actual response to the anti-Mart movement or just a ploy to get trendy phrases and products on the shelf?

"Wal-Mart executives are planning to visit Poco Fundo at the end of the month before making a decision. It's part of the new corporate philosophy outlined by chief executive H. Lee Scott Jr.: "Doing well by doing good."

Greg Spragg, executive vice president for operations and the No. 2 guy at Sam's Club, has christened Bom Dia's coffee his "volume producing item," which means everyone down the ladder is focused on boosting sales. "I really felt like it was important to be able to put the words that we had been using around sustainability [and] kind of bring them to life in an item," Spragg said from Wal-Mart headquarters. "What we had in these products were really great quality items at an extraordinary value."